FITNESS Training for Westport’s Sea2Summit (Part 4)

Fuelling up and powering down


Personal Trainer
Paul O'Brien

Food. We give it more thought than we would ever admit to. However, a good degree of this time is spent pondering the wrong food choices. In day-to-day life, this is a luxury we can afford to an extent. Where sporting performance is concerned, it’s a recipe for disaster!
When taking part in an endurance event, like the upcoming Westport Sea2Summit, what you eat and when you eat it becomes even more important. If you are competing to win your age group or set a personal best, you will need to plan and monitor your food intake. Even if you are competing to enjoy the event, you can more easily do so by making some intelligent nutrition choices.
To make sense of it all, I find it best to break my approach into four distinct but interrelated windows. I’m not a qualified nutritionist, but here’s the benefit of my experience:

Eating during race week
This is not the time to begin experimenting with food choices you are unused to. Stick with your normal, hopefully healthy diet, focusing on fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats and fish and quality carbohydrates from oats or wholegrain sources. Your training will have been cut back during this week, a process called ‘tapering’ so be careful to adjust portion sizes too or you may end up on the start line 3-4 pounds heavier!

Eating the day of the race
Up until a few months ago, I would eat a large bowl of porridge with fruit and nuts about 90-120 minutes before a race. I noticed during certain races that my stomach seemed to be working overtime. A little research taught me that eating fibrous wholegrains any less than two hours before a race can be counter-productive. It takes the body longer to break down more fibrous, complex foods, leading to an overactive gut during a race. This only serves to divert energy from more needy muscles.
Make sure you eat your porridge about 150-180 minutes before the start. If you are eating within two hours of an event, try a liquid meal, combining carbs (from fruit) with protein (egg whites, protein powder). This will help top up your muscle supply of glycogen (carbohydrate used for energy), the protein will help your recovery post-race and you’ll be less likely to suffer a dodgy tummy on the course.

Eating during an event
When I say eating, I really mean drinking here as it’s hard to take solid food on board during an event. Liquids are also more easily and quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, giving you energy when you need it.
The key here is to find something that you are happy with. Sports drinks, gels, bars, there are many different products available. Some will suit you, some won’t. Experiment during your training, but don’t try anything new during the event. Take liquids on board from the start to prevent dehydration. Taking some sports drink every 15 minutes will help provide ongoing energy.

The after-party
The key here is to restock your lost supplies of energy and help your body recover from its exertions. Try to get some food on board within 30 minutes of finishing, perhaps in liquid form; a smoothie with protein powder is a good choice.
Research shows that during this window, your body is more receptive to taking in nutrients. Many people find it hard to eat solid food straight after an event, so this liquid meal will tide you over until chow down later. When you finally do eat, potatoes, rice, pasta with some lean protein and veg is a good place to start.

The key message here is this – listen to your body. If it is telling you it doesn’t like something, don’t force it. No one wants a little ‘accident’ during an event. Don’t dwell too much on your food, if you are unsure, consult a sports nutritionist. Make sensible choices and you’ll reap the rewards.

Paul O’Brien is a Personal Trainer and Life Coach and runs his own fitness and coaching business in Westport. He is the founder of Bootcamp West, a fitness programme  running in Westport, Castlebar and Louisburgh. For information about fitness training, coaching, bootcamp programmes and new TRX classes, email Paul at paul@bootcampwest.com or call 086 1674515.